Santa Fe & Taos
- Thread starter jgpool
- Start date
jgpool said:I'm heading toi Santa Fe and Taos next week. Can anyone give me some places to play some pool in those places?
Thanks in advance
Myself, It has been years since I was down that way, but glad you started this as I will be down that way next month myself.
Is there any one pocket around there?
ironman said:
I have visited Santa Fe and Taos area 4 times in the past 10 years and did'nt see a pool hall. Mostly I have seen just some bars with a bar table, maybe I wasn't looking hard enough). You might have better luck in Albuquerque. However...
Bill Stroud of Joss West, a great cuemaker, a CueTable nut, an one pocket fanatic and one of the most interesting people I have ever met, lives in that area. This is his drawing:
If you go to Taos, ask the locals about this natural hot spring in the river outside of Hondo...
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There is a place in Santa Fe called the Catamount I believe, they have 9 foot Brunswick home tables and good eats. Not an action place as far as I could tell. Other than that all I saw was bar tables at sports bar type places. Albacookie is only about 60 miles away as well.
jgpool said:I'm heading toi Santa Fe and Taos next week. Can anyone give me some places to play some pool in those places?
Thanks in advance
When in SantaFe go to `plaza`.There is a place called `catamount`.It is neat LaFonda Inn.Pool section of the place only opens in the afternoon .I do not know what time it closes.That is the only place you will find 9 foot tables.By the way `Plaza ` is basically a touristy place with high priced stores with beautifull stuff.I do not know anything about Taos.
I go to that area every Oct, and I have only once ever found any action (3 ball on a bar box with a couple of drunks). As mentioned, the only place with something other than a bar box is Catamount in Santa Fe. I second steev's reccomendation for Michaels Kitchen in Taos (especialy for breakfast), make sure whatever you order has their amazing green chile (get the vegetarian if you like it really spicy).
I got hitched in Santa Fe, back in '99 and made a trip back in 03. Wasn't playing much pool the first go-round, not that it would've mattered under the circumstances! Second time was for a backpack trip in canyons (so was first, actually, honeymooned in Paria Canyon after few days at La Fonda) but in second case, to keep this pool-related, I had a prolonged pool discussion with my pal at the bottom of Dark Canyon, Utah, using old sticks before they went on the fire. Pal ordered "Blackbelt Billiards" after he returned even.
Anyway, considering you'll be lucky to find any action, don't miss the green chili and eggs at the diner on the plaza there. And you might try Casa Sena for dinner ... great courtyard a few blocks from plaza.
Anyway, considering you'll be lucky to find any action, don't miss the green chili and eggs at the diner on the plaza there. And you might try Casa Sena for dinner ... great courtyard a few blocks from plaza.
My mom just moved to Taos last week and I will be going there sometime in the near future. It will be nice to hear if there is actually somewhere to play pool out there. Thanks for the info on the restaraunts too.jgpool said:I'm heading toi Santa Fe and Taos next week. Can anyone give me some places to play some pool in those places?
Thanks in advance
BVal
Kachina Lodge
I have been there 3/4 times and the only place I have seen tables is in the Best Western Kachina Lodge. They have 1 or 2 bar tables. I have not really gone looking for tables as we were not there for that purpose. This trip I will have some spare time. By the way the Kachina lodge has indian dances at night and they are supposed to be very entertaining. Taos also has a small casino right outside of town if your interested. There is a new resort in town called El Monte. It is very exclusive, rooms start at around $400+ per night. I found out they have a private billiards room. If you go to thier website you can see it. I have heard they don't mind if you sneak up there while patronizing their bar. I'm going to find out how sneaking I am while there.
BVal said:My mom just moved to Taos last week and I will be going there sometime in the near future. It will be nice to hear if there is actually somewhere to play pool out there. Thanks for the info on the restaraunts too.
BVal
I have been there 3/4 times and the only place I have seen tables is in the Best Western Kachina Lodge. They have 1 or 2 bar tables. I have not really gone looking for tables as we were not there for that purpose. This trip I will have some spare time. By the way the Kachina lodge has indian dances at night and they are supposed to be very entertaining. Taos also has a small casino right outside of town if your interested. There is a new resort in town called El Monte. It is very exclusive, rooms start at around $400+ per night. I found out they have a private billiards room. If you go to thier website you can see it. I have heard they don't mind if you sneak up there while patronizing their bar. I'm going to find out how sneaking I am while there.
My mom bought 5 acres out there and until their house is built she is staying in an apt. in town. Let me know about the sneaking injgpool said:
Of all the people I have talked to about Taos - there has never been a bad thing said. I am excited to go there and see the town and culture.BVal
Artsy
From what I have seen it is very artsy. Arts and crafts are all around, everybody has an Art Gallery. Not much to do there. A couple of golf courses. Good Mexican food. It's very small but growing. It is a nice place to visit and kick back, my plan for this trip. There is a ski resort near, Angel Fire and Angel Fire Golf Course. My wife loves it. The less fortunate, American Indians and such are evident. Seems to me that there were many more middle aged women than men from what I saw. If I would have to guess I would say it is a very liberal culture. Anything goes JMHO. This would not be where I would pick to retire. After saying that, I have enjoyed my visits and it is conveinent for a getaway, being I am in Colorado Springs CO.
BVal said:My mom bought 5 acres out there and until their house is built she is staying in an apt. in town. Let me know about the sneaking in
BVal
From what I have seen it is very artsy. Arts and crafts are all around, everybody has an Art Gallery. Not much to do there. A couple of golf courses. Good Mexican food. It's very small but growing. It is a nice place to visit and kick back, my plan for this trip. There is a ski resort near, Angel Fire and Angel Fire Golf Course. My wife loves it. The less fortunate, American Indians and such are evident. Seems to me that there were many more middle aged women than men from what I saw. If I would have to guess I would say it is a very liberal culture. Anything goes JMHO. This would not be where I would pick to retire. After saying that, I have enjoyed my visits and it is conveinent for a getaway, being I am in Colorado Springs CO.
jrhendy said:
Louie Roybal, now there is a blast from the past. I haven't heard that name in years. I didn't know wheter he was still alive or not.
I haven't been to Alb, in many years. The worst I ever got my butt kicked was there and must have been at least 20 years ago.
I used to think I was a pretty good scrapper. I was playing in this bar and this guy lost about $160 at $20 a game and was taking the heat. Anyway he woofe and woofed wanting to bet $100 a game, { I was wanting to bet a million} but I just knew there was gonna be heat, but in those days I didn't mind that too much.
Finally 100 is the bet playing 8 ball on the bar box. I won the first game and the guy told me GFM and it was just a little more than I could bare. I walked around and nailed this guy right square between the eyes with a great right hand. He barely budged and I instantly knew there was a big problem.
We ended up outside and it was a pretty good one for a while, but, he was just too strong and had a right hand that would make things flash in front of you. I lost pretty badly. I was with Kenny Anderson from LA and he didn't mind mixing it up a little either, but the bystanders wouldn't let him near it.
Finally after what seemed 2 hours, it was over and after I had begun to collect myself a bit and Kenny was able to get me to the car, and older fella walked up and stuck and $100 bill in the posket of what remained my shirt. I asked him why he had done that and he said it was the best scrap he had seen in years. I didn't argue with him because I just figured I had pissed off enough people for one night.
Jay just informed me the other day that Kenny had passed. Too bad, I always liked him and he was a hell of a road partner. We had a ball and made pretty good money together. This must have been around 82-83.
jgpool said:
Don't forget Taos Ski Valley, one of the most difficult areas in the nation. Kinda like Jackson Hole, WY.
www.skitaos.org
-s
They've got a nice bridge over the Rio G. if you're into that. Rafting on the river (wayyy) below too, I've only seen it from the bridge
. I still say find a bar on the plaza and park your butt with a cocktail.
Parked
I will be staying next to the Plaza. I plan on having a reserved parking space for my butt and my cues butt at Catamounts.
steev said:Don't forget Taos Ski Valley, one of the most difficult areas in the nation. Kinda like Jackson Hole, WY.
www.skitaos.org
-s
They've got a nice bridge over the Rio G. if you're into that. Rafting on the river (wayyy) below too, I've only seen it from the bridge
I will be staying next to the Plaza. I plan on having a reserved parking space for my butt and my cues butt at Catamounts.
Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson. Talk about a blast from the past. I first met & played Kenny in the mid 60's at Tropicana Bowl in Inglewood. I was out drinking and stopped by the bowl after hours and I ended up playing him some $20/30 a game 9 ball. He got me stuck a couple hundred and when I started making a comeback the house man (who was staking him) shut the table down for throwing the $$ on the table. It was ok when he was robbing me. We ran into each other dozens of times over the years but never played again except in tournaments. He had pretty much turned into a bar pool player and I stuck to the big tables. He could and would play on the big tables, but seemed to prefer the bars. You are right about mixing it up. He was playing someone at the Stagger Inn and they were arguing over a bad hit or something. Kenny said he might lose the argument but he would win the fight & the other guy gave in. I saw quite a bit of him in the late 80's when I was managing a mortgage co. down in San Diego and was playing around the rooms and joints down there. He was a good guy and an old time pool scuff and I was sad to hear he had passed. John Henderson
ironman said:
Kenny Anderson. Talk about a blast from the past. I first met & played Kenny in the mid 60's at Tropicana Bowl in Inglewood. I was out drinking and stopped by the bowl after hours and I ended up playing him some $20/30 a game 9 ball. He got me stuck a couple hundred and when I started making a comeback the house man (who was staking him) shut the table down for throwing the $$ on the table. It was ok when he was robbing me. We ran into each other dozens of times over the years but never played again except in tournaments. He had pretty much turned into a bar pool player and I stuck to the big tables. He could and would play on the big tables, but seemed to prefer the bars. You are right about mixing it up. He was playing someone at the Stagger Inn and they were arguing over a bad hit or something. Kenny said he might lose the argument but he would win the fight & the other guy gave in. I saw quite a bit of him in the late 80's when I was managing a mortgage co. down in San Diego and was playing around the rooms and joints down there. He was a good guy and an old time pool scuff and I was sad to hear he had passed. John Henderson